Spider-Rag

Ragtime, in short rag, is a term first applied, ca. 1890, to New Orleans music as played by colored orchestras on Mississippi river boats. One of the most important ragtime pianists was Scott Joplin. He composed numerous rags. Generally, ”The Entertainer” is considered his most famous ragtime. The rag is characterized by fast syncopation (off-beat phrasing) in fast, even time and therefore has “so many notes”. When you perform the “Spider Rag” and watch the fingering of the saxophone soloist, you will understand, why this title was chosen. All of his ten fingers move over the many buttons of the instrument like a spider.

eXplora Grade 2
eXplora disc 03